Hanging out at the bus station waiting for an overnighter, without realising, I find myself people watching.

In particular I’m watching the dozen or so people who walked up to a water station across from me. There was no barrel filled with water attached to the top of the water station, therefore the water station had been temporarily made redundant. Yet, these dozen people walked up to the water station, grabbed a plastic cup from the dispenser, looked at the contraption with its empty barrel sitting next to it, and pulled the leaver to get water. You’re kidding. The majority of them looked around the machine for something magical to happen before putting the plastic cup down and walking away.

More people watching on the eighteen hour long overnight bus trip. Three hours into the new day and upon approach to a checkpoint that was so well lit up that it could have been seen from space, those who were awake had their faces scrunched up to compensate for the brightness they weren’t used to. Everyone’s expression was one of anger, but I don’t think they were angry. I think it was just from the light that made them look that way, myself included. Or maybe everyone on the bus just had their cranky pants on.

A third observation is of the proximity of the bloke sitting next to me. Quite possibly this is one of the only times it is acceptable to sleep within fifteen centimetres of a complete stranger without consent and the police will not be called by either of us. Breathing on each other, I could almost tell you for detail what this bloke last ate. If somebody were to explain to you what I have just aforementioned before you took part, you’d instantly decline the invitation. I would too. However, because the situation involved buying a ticket to get a lift to the next joint on a bus, this invitation was happily accepted. What a strange world.